love one another (John 13:34 and 35 and John 15:17 and Romans 12:10 and Romans 13:8 and 1 Thessalonians 4:9)

be mutually encouraged by one another’s faith (Romans 1:12)

[be] dependent on one another (Romans 12:5)

give direction to one another (Romans 15:14)

help each other (1 Corinthians 12:7)

build each other up. (1 Corinthians 14:26)

Aim for restoration (2 Corinthians 13:11)

comfort one another (2 Corinthians 13:11)

Bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)

speak truth each one of you with his neighbor (Ephesians 4:25)

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

continue to encourage one another every day, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:13)

let us continue to consider how to motivate one another to love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24)

keeping one another strong in faith; and all the more because you see the day coming near (Hebrews 10:25)

make it your habit to confess your sins to one another and to pray for one another, so that you may be healed (James 5:16)

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. (1 Peter 4:10)

The world, in the name of “tolerance”, has placed such a negative connotation on the word “judge” that no one, not even others in my own life, feel they have the “right” to speak up and speak truth. When I use this word for the purposes of this writing I guess I am really using the definition that is “toinfer,think,orholdasanopinion;concludeaboutorassess OR tomakeacarefulguessabout;estimate.” Those definitions are necessarily negative in nature. They can be, and usually are, for the building up, for helping me, for restoration, to serve.

In the New Testament, the for for judging is from the Greek. krino. This word really just means “to determine and discern something”. Judging is an unavoidable part of life. All of our choices consist of judging. I judge the weather to determine whether or not I should wear a jacket, or bring an umbrella. I judge the items in my fridge to decide what to fix for dinner. I judge different vacation spots to make a decision about where to go this summer. But what about judging people? We are not to judge others by our own human standards. We are commanded in John 7:24 to judge with righteous judgement. As a Christian, I want to use God’s Word as the authority in my life, so I take my thoughts, decisions, struggles to His Word to learn how to live.

I will be the first one to admit that I am not always right. I do not always make the best decisions. I do not always to the right thing, say the right thing, think the right thing. I do, however, want to have people whom I trust, in my life to help me navigate this crazy life. And there are times when that means they must “judge” me. Not negatively, not spitefully, not to tear me down, not to hurt my feelings…but to make me better. To make me into the woman God has called me to be.

I have given many people in my life permission to “judge” me. They are people who love me. Who have walked through this life with me. Who know me. Some of them are family members, some are friends, some are mentors (people I look up to), some are pastors. They’re my people. How did they become my people? They’re people I know will tell me the truth because they love me and what me to be who God wants me to be. The don’t just tell me their opinion. But truth. Sometimes hard to hear truth. Truth from God’s Word.